ARM YOURSELF…WITH FACTS!

May 21, 2018

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Need quick access to facts to fight back against gun nonsense? We’ve built you a war chest. Check out our list of the most powerful gun violence statistics and find rebuttals to common arguments against gun reform. Take your weapons into battle and win!

NINE FACTS THAT DON’T LIE

Americans are 25 times more likely to be murdered by guns that those from other developed countries.

Every day, 96 Americans are killed by gun violence. That’s 35,000 every year.

Black men are 13 times more likely than white men to be shot and killed by guns.

In an average month, 50 women are shot and killed by their domestic partners.

More than 2,500 children and teens are killed with guns every year in the US.

62% of gun deaths in the US are suicides. More than half of all suicides are gun-related.

90% of suicide attempts with a gun are fatal. 90% of suicide attempts without a gun are NOT fatal.

NINE ARGUMENTS TO KNOCK DOWN

1. Gun reform laws violate the Second Amendment

THE FACTS ARE…

The US Constitution is a set of rules that carefully balance promoting the public good and protecting individual rights. While the Second Amendment does protect individuals’ rights to own weapons, those rights should not extend to scenarios that threaten public safety, in the same way that the First Amendment does not protect individuals who yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater when there is no fire.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that Washington DC’s handgun ban violated the Second Amendment, but that ruling was limited to handguns in the home for the purpose of self defense. Justice Scalia made sure to clarify the ruling by writing, “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited,” and “nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.”

Assault weapon & large-capacity magazine bans: Every federal appeals court that’s ruled on assault rifle and large-capacity magazine bans has concluded that they comply with the Constitution. The Supreme Court has never chosen to take up any of those cases on appeal. In 1994 Congress lawfully established an assault weapons ban, which included high capacity magazines. The law expired in 2004 and was not renewed.

Bump stock bans: Banning bump stocks wouldn’t directly restrict anyone’s ability to have a firearm; it would just prohibit them from modifying their weapons to operate like machine guns. And in the 2008 DC v. Heller case,the Supreme Court strongly suggested that machine guns can be prohibited. Even the NRA claims to be in favor of banning bump stocks.

Age restrictions: Unlike the 26th Amendment which specifically sets the voting age at 18, the Second Amendment sets no minimum age requirement. Most age restriction laws are focused only on the purchase of assault-style weapons and handguns, and those laws have been upheld in courts. Making exceptions for military and law enforcement trainees would be logical, since they undergo rigorous safety training.

Waiting periods: Although 3-day waiting periods are most common, the courts have upheld waiting periods of up to 10 days.

Universal background checks: These pose no Second Amendment challenge.

It’s true that Chicago’s gun violence is high, but it’s not true that the city has the toughest gun laws in the country. Chicago has actually seen its laws weakened in the time period leading up to the crime spike. Its handgun ban was ruled unconstitutional in 2008, after DC v. Heller. It ended its concealed carry ban in 2012, and its gun registry program in 2013.

The state of Illinois does have tougher gun laws than other states, but neighboring Wisconsin and Indiana have very weak laws. State borders don’t stop guns. More than half of the guns recovered by law Illinois law enforcement come from out of state.

It’s also not true that Chicago has the highest murder rate in the US. Per capita, Chicago’s murder rate is actually well below other US cities including St. Louis, Gary, and Cleveland.

3. Only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun

THE FACTS ARE…

Actually, bad guys with guns stop the most bad guys with guns. 42% of mass shooters kill themselves before they are apprehended. (Everytown Research)

States with “right to carry” laws have a 13-15% higher violent crime rate than states without RTC laws. (2017, Stanford University)

4. Arming teachers will stop school shootings

THE FACTS ARE…

Unarmed civilians are actually more effective than armed civilians. Civilians without guns stopped 13% of mass shooters, while armed civilians have only stopped 3%. (FBI Report)

Stopping a mass shooter is hard, even for those trained to do it. Nearly half of law enforcement officers who engaged an active shooter were killed or wounded. (FBI statistics)

Simulations have demonstrated that most people placed in an active shooter situation while armed will not be able to stop the situation, and are likely to get themselves killed or kill fellow civilians in the process.

Since most gun deaths are suicides, better mental health treatment and gun control are both effective at combating that problem. Legislators should increase funding for school counselors and find a way to make mental health treatment and more affordable and accessible for children and families.

6. Background checks are inconvenient and only punish law-abiding citizens

THE FACTS ARE…

Background checks have stopped 3 million gun sales to people with a criminal record. (Everytown Research)

Background checks are not inconvenient. 98% of Mainers live within 10 miles of a licensed gun dealer. We have more licensed gun dealers than post offices! (Everytown Research)

States that require background checks for all handgun sales have lowered their handgun death rates by 46% for women killed by intimate partners and 48% for law enforcement killed. Gun trafficking was reduced by 48%. (Everytown Research)

34% of mass shooters should have been prohibited from buying guns. Violent criminals, stalkers, suspected terrorists and those diagnosed with dangerous mental illnesses can skirt background checks by buying guns privately, online, or at gun shows.(Everytown for Gun Safety)

7. Mainers said “no” to background checks when they rejected the 2016 ballot initiative

Policies that close background check loopholes are considered to be one of the most effective ways to reduce mass shootings (after banning assault and semi-automatic weapons, banning high capacity clips, and barring sales to violent criminals).

Republicans don’t have a good track record of respecting the will of Maine voters. Governor LePage and Republican legislators in Augusta have worked tirelessly to roll back or undermine voter-approved laws to fully funded public schools, expand Medicaid, increase the minimum wage, establish ranked choice voting, and legalize marijuana.

8. Gun Reform laws violate Maine’s constitution

THE FACTS ARE…

Just like the US Constitution, the Maine State Constitution balances individual rights with the common good. Article 1, Section 16 states: “Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned.” This is the section legislators love to use as justification for opposing gun reform laws. But scroll back up and you’ll also find this in Article 1, Section 2: “All power is inherent in the people; all free governments are founded in their authority and instituted for their benefit; they have therefore an unalienable and indefensible right to institute government, and to alter, reform, or totally change the same, when their safety and happiness require it.”

TAKE AIM AT ANTI-REFORM LEGISLATORS

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Suit Up Maine is a statewide, all-volunteer, progressive, grassroots group of more than 5,400 Mainers that seeks to create and foster a more informed and engaged electorate. We raise awareness of and advocate for policies and legislation that promote equity and equality in civil rights, social justice, health care, the environment, education, the economy, and other areas that affect the lives of all people. We are beholden to issues and action, not parties or politicians, and we aren’t engaged in fundraising. Suit Up Maine fosters collaboration among our state’s progressive groups and organizations to collectively connect, educate, and motivate Mainers to rise in non-violent resistance to a regressive agenda.